Albury mother and sex worker Tegan Sullivan sentenced for aggravated carjacking in Sydney
A young Albury sex worker became involved in an armed taxi-jacking and police pursuit before a full blown bushland manhunt in western Sydney. Now she has been sentenced.
Penrith
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A young Albury sex worker’s involvement in an armed taxi-jacking and police pursuit, which descended into a huge bushland manhunt, can be revealed.
Tegan Sullivan, 23, was sentenced in Penrith District Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to aggravated carjacking in company, larceny, drug possession and driving while disqualified.
The mother-of-one and her co-accused Nicholas Page were travelling in a stolen Nissan Dualis July 27, 2021 when they were ordered to stop by police in Colyton, the court heard.
According to court documents Page, 29, tried to reverse down the street, but an officer turned the ignition off by reaching inside.
A struggle followed and the officer pulled Page’s hand out of the window to stop him starting the car, prompting the offender to order: “Babe start the car”.
Sullivan reached for the keys and the officer grabbed her hand, telling his colleague: “(Capsicum) spray, mate spray”.
According to court documents Sullivan and Page both copped a dose before Page raised a homemade pistol, saying: “I’ve got a gun”.
As the officer reached for his own weapon, Page seized the opportunity to speed away, sparking a pursuit recorded by onlookers and uploaded to social media.
Police called for backup from PolAir and the riot and dog squads and a manhunt in surrounding bushland began.
Sullivan and Page hopped into the back of a taxi, directing the driver to go to Turramurra, on Sydney’s lower north shore.
However, the taxi driver stopped at traffic lights where the cops they were running from saw Page’s head popping out of the cab’s window.
The taxi driver stopped the car, telling the pair: “I don’t know what is going on”.
The court heard Page pointed the gun at the man’s head.
“I’ve got a gun, I’ve got a gun,” he shouted.
The terrified taxi driver ran away and Page hopped into the front seat.
He and Sullivan then jumped out of the vehicle and Page ran into the bushes, the court heard.
Police arrested and handcuff Sullivan, who told them she was a sex worker, that she had drugs in her vagina and she didn’t know who Page was.
A body search by a female police officer uncovered 1.2 grams of amphetamines, the court heard.
After having the capsicum spray washed out of her eyes with a garden hose, Sullivan was taken to Penrith Police Station.
The court heard police could not prove Sullivan knew her co-accused would draw a gun, but Judge Sophie Beckett accepted she was clearly aware they were trying to escape police.
Judge Beckett said Sullivan’s role in the crime spree was significantly less than her co-accused.
While Page was sentenced for the high-speed police pursuit Sullivan was not.
She also considered Sullivan’s guilty plea and that she had been in jail since July of 2021.
Sullivan told the court she wanted to see her family
She said she was no longer using drugs and would tell anybody who offered them to her “to go to hell”.
In a letter to the court, Sullivan said she was ashamed, regretful and disgusted by her conduct, explaining she came from a background of disadvantage but wanted to get her life back on track.
Judge Beckett commended Sullivan for the “perfect” letter.
“You are an intelligent woman, articulate and I know you’ll be able to turn your life around,” Judge Beckett said.
Sullivan was sentenced 14 months in jail, backdated for time already served.
She will be eligible for release on January 23, with conditional release order of twelve months imposed.
Page was convicted and sentenced over using offensive weapon with the intent to commit indictable offence, assaulting a police officer causing actual bodily harm, possessing a firearm in a public place and driving while disqualified.
He was sentenced in October to two years and four months behind bars.
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